X Games Tignes 2013 Set To Kick Off

What to watch for as the global X Games events continue this week from France.

Almost two months ago, the X Games dazzled fans in Aspen, Colorado as they watched Tucker Hibbert become the first winter athlete to six-peat, Shaun White six-peat the snowboard superpipe and Elena Hight become the first snowboarder to land a double-backside alley-oop rodeo. Well extreme sport’s second biggest winter event is taking its show on the road, heading to Val Claret in Tignes, France for the second leg of the two part winter event – and there’s plenty to watch for when it kicks off March 20.

The biggest event this time around might just be the men’s snowboard slopestyle final, as Mark McMorris – the reigning king of slopestyle who is coming off a score of 98.00 at Aspen – looks to once again grab X Games gold in the event, though he will have to fight for it against Aspen silver medalist Maxence Parrot and bronze medalist Seppe Smits, along with Grand Prix winner Chas Guldemond.

If men’s slopestyle isn’t your thing, maybe the men’s ski superpipe final will be. French skiers Kevin Rolland, Thomas Krief and Joffrey Pollet-Villard have a home-field advantage but Americans David Wise, Torin Yater-Wallace and Simon Dumont are looking to once again sweep the podium like at Aspen.

The women’s snowboard superpipe final is also slated as one of the event’s big draws. After winning gold in Aspen, American Kelly Clark looks to continue to build onto her 13 consecutive win streak – but her competition has other ideas. Her biggest advisory could be Spanish rider Queralt Castellet, who last year landed a fronstide 1080 to win the Burton European Open. Arielle Gold, Torah Bright and Kelly Farrington have all claimed podium spots so far this season and also hope look to end to Clark’s streak.

There will be plenty of action in one of the last huge events before the Sochi Olympics next winter. For more information on when the March 20-22 events take place, be sure to check local listings.

Ed is an MMA/Extreme Sports contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @PhillyEdMiller, and subscribe on Facebook @ CraveOnlineSports.